Trucks Worry Drivers Recent Accidents Spark Concern

To Steven Cox, the big dump trucks carrying loads from rock quarries in southwest Broward are ``the neighborhood bully`` of local traffic.

From his rear patio, Cox can see the intersection where a loaded dump truck smashed into his brand-new car 18 days ago.

A dump truck ran a red light at Hiatus Road and Sheridan Street less than a half-mile from his house in Cooper City, he said. His 4-day old Buick was demolished, but Cox suffered only cuts and bruises.

Even before the accident, Cox said truck traffic annoyed him.

``They`re fully loaded and always jockeying lanes,`` Cox said. ``They know how big they are and nobody`s going to intimidate them. I`ve driven big trucks like that for the phone company with big cable reels. You can`t stop those trucks on a dime and give 9 cents change.``

Statistics detailing the number of accidents involving dump trucks aren`t kept by government agencies. But Cox`s accident represents a growing concern in southwest Broward about the safety of mixing dump trucks and cars on the same roads.

In November, Miramar city officials proposed restricting truck traffic on Miramar Parkway between Palm Avenue and Southwest 64th Avenue after Jeanette Brown Jordan was killed in an accident similar to Cox`s.

Lockard said some trucks are ``grossly overloaded by 10,000 or 12,000 pounds.``

``Those trucks need about two times the stopping distance that cars do,`` Lockard said. ``When they see the light go amber, they don`t slow down, they go right through it. That`s what happened here, and it resulted in a death.``

Miramar`s plan didn`t get anywhere when city officials found they could not prohibit traffic on a county road.

``There`s a lot of things we can`t do,`` Mayor Frank Branca said. ``We can`t have weigh-ins or bar them from Miramar Parkway because it`s a county road. We can strictly enforce speed limits and appeal to the companies to have them set one truck route.``

Driving a truck safely is ``just a common sense thing,`` said Scott Clancy, a truck foreman for John Sessa Excavating Co. The rock pits and quarries west of Interstate 75 on Hollywood Boulevard are the source of most truck traffic in southwest Broward County.

``You quadruple your following distance and more, depending on whether you`re loaded or empty,`` Clancy said. ``Legally, a truck can hold up to 25 tons. Hypothetically, a truck can hold 50 tons. It`s up to the truck operator.``

While cities and the county can enforce vehicle safety requirements and speed limits, the state Department of Transportation checks whether a truck`s load is within legal limits.

Load limits for dump trucks range from 22 tons to 25 tons depending on the type of truck, according to a Bureau of Weights manual. Because safety inspections are not mandatory, state officials also can check the trucks for safety violations.

``What we do is set up a roadblock and do random spot checks for weight violations and safety violations,`` said Cpl. C.D. Snelson of the DOT`s Bureau of Weights and Measures.

``It`s the only system available to us at this time. Local authorities cannot do weight inspections because the fines are assessed a certain amount per pound and are payable on the site.``

Broward County transportation officials said car-truck accidents haven`t been a high priority.

Most complaints are about trucks using residential streets, said Richard Ronskavitz, director of Broward County`s Traffic Engineering Division.

Speed and load size are the most important variables in trucking, Ronskavitz said.

``Time is money, especially when you`re trucking fill,`` he said. ``Load is a factor that affects their ability to stop. Any extra time translates into mileage. We haven`t been asked to review the accidents. But one thing we have suggested is that if you want to ban trucks, suggest another truck route.``

Enio Marset of Fort Lauderdale was driving the Ford dump truck that hit Cox. Pembroke Pines police cited him for running a red light and for having bald tires on the truck`s right side.

State records show that Marset has had five accidents in the past two years and has no points currently against his license in Florida. Marset declined to be interviewed on advice of his attorney.

Cox said he understands that the various construction projects throughout the county need fill and that trucks are the easiest way to haul it. And more traffic usually follows the projects.